Bath system

ABSTRACT

A bath environment, such as a shower or a tub enclosure, has an outer wall and an area built into the outer wall that extends out of the bath environment. The area supports a user so that a user may pivot thereon to enter into the bath environment.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.61/189,054 filed Aug. 15, 2008. Cross reference is made to copendingU.S. patent applications Ser. No. 12/533,046 entitled “Bath System”;Ser. No. 12/533,094 entitled “Bath System”; Ser. No. 12/533,103 entitled“Bath System”; Ser. No. 12/533,238 entitled “Bath System”; Ser. No.12/533,293 entitled “Bath System”; Ser. No. 12/533,404 entitled “BathSystem”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bath showers and tubs have many features. Some baths and showers includeseats and benches. Some seats are fixed to the interior of tubs andshowers. Other seats are arranged on slides to allow a user to, inessence, ride the seat from the exterior of a tub to the interior of thetub and back.

Showers typically have a threshold over which a user must step to enterinto a shower. The threshold typically serves to keep water fromescaping from the shower.

Some bath and shower fixtures attach grab bars thereto to provide handholds for users.

Both shower and shower/bath fixtures use doors, typically glass, andcurtains, typically plastic, to keep water from escaping from the showerenclosure during use.

Some bath and shower units provide shelves for storage of bath materialssuch as soap, shampoo, toys and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, a bath environment, such as a shower or atub enclosure, has an outer wall that may hold water within the bathenvironment and an area built into the outer wall that extends out ofthe bath environment. The area supports a posterior portion of a user sothat a user may sit on the area and pivot thereon to enter into the bathenvironment.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the bath environment alsohas a bench adjacent to the area and the top of the outer wall, thebench being disposed within the bath environment and flush with the topof the outer wall and the area such that a user may pivot upon the areaand slide across the top of the outer wall to sit on the bench.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the present invention can be best understoodfrom the following specification and drawings, the following of which isa brief description.

FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a shower surround;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a handheld showerhead mounted toa handrail;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top perspective view of a shower surround;

FIG. 4 illustrates a shower surround according to another non-limitingembodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the shower chair of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 illustrates another schematic embodiment of the shower chairshown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 illustrates a plan view of another embodiment of a shower chairshown in a shower surround;

FIGS. 8, 8A and 8B illustrate a shower surround showing an embodiment ofa shower bench;

FIG. 9 illustrates a top view of a shower surround of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 illustrates a plan view of a tub surround;

FIG. 11 illustrates another plan view of a shower and tub surround;

FIG. 12 illustrates a top plan view of the shower and tub surround ofFIG. 11;

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a shower andtub surround including a storage compartment;

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a the storagecompartment of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 illustrates a phantom view of the storage compartment of FIG.14;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shower surround 20 that includes apair of grab bars 25 (a-b) against a back wall 30 of the shower, a grabbar 35 at each end wall 40 of the shower, a floor 45 incorporating azero threshold drain 50, a knee wall 55 in the back wall 30 of theshower and a pair of shower doors 60 is illustrated. A fixed showerhead63 may also be provided in or above one end of the shower surround 20.

At the back wall 30 of the shower 20, there is a vertically placed grabbar 25 a and a cathedral shaped grab bar 25 b. Similarly, grab bars 35are placed on end wall 40 to provide hand holds for a user. Thecathedral shaped grab bar 25 b is placed in a recess 70 in the back wall30, the cathedral-shaped grab bar having a bottom portion 75, twoupwardly extending leg portions 80, and an arcuate section 85 connectingthe tops of the two leg portions is placed therein. The grab bars areattached to end and side walls 30, 40 by means known in the art bymounts 102 (see FIG. 2).

As may be seen in FIG. 1, a hand-held shower head is appended to thecathedral shaped grab bar 25 b to enable a user to hold a shower head inthe desired position and wash himself as will be described hereinbelow.The hand-held shower head may also be appended to grab bars 35 and 25 a.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it is seen that the hand-held shower head 90 isheld by conventional means (93) on a bracket 95 which has a clampingmechanism 100. The clamping mechanism creates a friction fit with a grabbar and be either a flexible plastic piece having legs 101 that willgrasp the grab bar and be flexible enough to be removed from the grabbar and still grab the grab bar, or a screw-down mechanism 102, as isknown in the art, that will hold the bracket in place on thecathedral-shaped grab bar 25 b (or other grab bar 25 having a samediameter as grab bar 25 b) so that the bracket may be disposed in anyposition a user deems necessary along that grab bar. The clampingmechanism 100 engages at least partially around handrail 25 b so as topermit movement of the legs 101. That is, the handheld showerhead 90 mayslide from post to post around the entirety of the handrail/grab bars 25b to thereby position the handheld showerhead 90 at any position. If auser wishes to position the handheld showerhead 90 around a second pairof posts 90, the clamping mechanism 102 must be detached and reattachedtherearound. By appending the hand-held to the cathedral-shaped grabbar, a user may then place the shower head in the ideal place to washand rinse herself. It should be understood that the handrail may beconfigured with particular radiuses and shapes, even in the z-axis (seeFIG. 3) so as to permit this slideable movement. Furthermore, it shouldbe understood that the handrail/grab bars 25, 35 may be of variousconfigurations, shapes, orientations, and arrangements other than thatillustrated herein to place the grab bar 25 b both ideally to support auser and to place a shower head. The arcuate section 85 may extend intothe shower 20 (see FIG. 3).

By integrating the shower head with the grab bars, a user may understandthat he can hold the shower head support if desired while manipulatingthe shower head because the shower head support is the grab bar.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the shower surround 20 includes the floor 45that inclines slightly towards the integral drain 50 that is flush withthe floor 45 of the shower and the floor 105 of the bathroom. Theincline is slight so a wheel chair will not be impeded by the steepnessof incline if entering the shower surround. The drain 50 has a pluralityof slots and grooves 110 that are roughly transverse to an axis 115 ofthe drain so that water flowing from the shower floor 45 does not have astraight path to the bathroom floor 105 to minimize flow from the showerto the bathroom floor 105. The drain and floor 45 create no thresholdbarrier that a user has to step over or that would likely impede accessor egress to the shower 20. One of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that the slots 110 may have different shapes or frequency tominimize the flow of water from the floor 45 to floor 105 of thebathroom.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, an embodiment of a chair 125 that isdesigned for use in the shower 20 are shown. The chair 125 shown in FIG.4 is comprised of a seat 130, a seat back 135, a stabilizing bracket140, a spring 143 attached to the stabilizing bracket 140, a pair oflegs 150, a weight distribution support 155 and support arms 160.

The stabilizing bracket 140 is attached to the upper back 165 of theseat back 135 (see FIG. 5) by conventional means like screws or brads(not shown) or is integral therewith (see FIG. 6). The brackets have anarcuate portion 170 that has a diameter that is greater than a diameterof grab bars 35 and that curves less than 180° so that the bracket 140and the chair 125 thereby are removably attached to the grab bars 25 a,25 b, or 35. The brackets do not support the weight of a user but serveto prevent the chair 125 from tipping forward. The spring 143 is alsoattached to the bracket or is integral therewith and tends to resistforce that pushes the spring back to the bracket. The weight of the useris transferred from the seat 130 to the floor 45 via legs 150 and weightdistribution support 155.

The seat back is attached to the legs 150 by means of support arms 160which attach to the seat back below the stabilizing bracket 140 byconventional means and attach to a mid portion 175 of legs 150 also byconventional means. The seat has a pair of downwardly depending flanges180 which conventionally attach to the legs 150 while allowing the seatto pivot thereabout. The legs 150 conventionally attach at their lowerend to the weight distribution support 155 that serves to distribute theweight of a user across a greater area of the shower floor 45 tominimize the ends of the legs from damaging the floor 45.

The chair 125 is made of water resistant material like plastic, wood ormetal. As shown in FIG. 5, the seat has a plastic seat with awater-resistant foam top for user comfort. The chair 125 shown in FIG. 7is all plastic with slots 182 to allow for water run-off and quickdrying. Also, the slots 182 in seat 125 are hygienically designed toallow a user to wash his or her undersides (not shown) without unduemovement by directing spray from under the seat to that underside area.The slots tend to be wider at a user's underside portions to allowcleaning thereof.

To use the chair, one places the bracket 140 over a grab bar 25 whiledepressing the spring 143 to allow the grab bar 35 to nestle within thearcuate portion 170, locates the weight distribution support 155 andflips down the seat 130. When not in use, a user simply flips up theseat 130 and leaves the chair in place. If more space is necessary, orthe chair needs cleaning, a user simply flips up the seat and, becauseof the dimensions of the arcuate portion 170, simply depresses thespring 143 and lifts the chair and the bracket 140 up over the bar forremoval. The spring minimizes the probability that the chair will bepushed off the bracket when it is not intended to remove the chair. Ifthe chair is lifted or pushed upwardly, the spring catches the grab bar35 and prevents removal of the chair from the grab bar. One of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that other types of devices such asclamps, flexible over-center grips and the like may be used to preventthe removal of the chair if not desired by a user.

Referring now to FIG. 7, another embodiment of a chair is shown. Similarto FIGS. 4-6, the chair 125 is comprised of a seat 130, a seat back 135,and a stabilizing bracket 140. However, the seat back also has: a pairof legs 150 whereby the seat back and legs are integrally formed; pairof horizontally disposed flanges 185 extending therefrom; and aplurality of horizontal slots 190 that increase in width from the top ofthe seat back to the bottom thereof both to allow water to drain and topresent an appealing design. The legs 150 are wider at the bottom todistribute the weight of a user across a greater area of the showerfloor 45 to minimize damage thereto. The seat 130 is conventionallyattached to the flanges 185 to allow the seat to pivot upwardly. Thestabilizing bracket 140 acts like the seat bracket as shown in FIGS.4-6. It does not support the weight of a user and allows for easyremoval of the chair from the any of the grab bars at the appropriateheight, e.g., 25 b, 35, because the arcuate portion 170 of thestabilizing bracket is less than 180° and has a diameter that is greaterthan the diameter of the grab bars as stated herein above.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a shower surround 195 according to anothernon-limiting embodiment is illustrated. The shower surround 195 includesa zero threshold drain 50, a knee-wall 205, a bench seat 210, and apedestal 215 disposed at the front of the shower surround.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a top view of the shower surround of FIG. 8 isshown. The pedestal 215 is essentially a rectangular solid, but as oneof ordinary skill in the art will recognize, the pedestal may have othershapes and decorative features so long as it can support the bench seat210. The pedestal may be either permanently affixed to the shower floor45 or may be removable therefrom to enable a user to have more room inthe shower 195. The knee wall may have a longitudinal portion 220 thatjuts away from the back wall 225 and the rest of the knee wall so thatbench seat 210 is supported by the longitudinal area 220 and thepedestal 215. The pedestal may also fit in groove 227 shown in FIG. 8.FIG. 9 also shows a slot 320 in which a shower curtain may slide tominimize water splashing out of the shower if the hinge 222 for benchseat 210 is attached to the bench seat and a tub wall (not shown.

The bench seat may either sit on the longitudinal portion 220 of theknee wall and the pedestal 215 and thereby be easily removed from theshower surround 195 if desired, or may be fixedly hinged as shown inFIG. 9 or hinged via an integrated, arcuate portion 230 that fits into acorresponding arcuate recess 231 in pedestal 215 and knee-wall 205. Thearcuate recess 231 is less than 180° so that the parts can be easilyseparated. One of ordinary skill can appreciated that the arcuateportion and arcuate recess can be in either of the seat or the knee-walland the pedestal. A user would then be able to flip the bench seat up(or down) and out of the way, or removed by separating the pieces 230and 231 from each other, if more space is desired. As with other seatsdisclosed herein, the seat may be slotted to allow for hygiene and waterrunoff; padded for user comfort; and, have other decorative andfunctional features. Also as noted herein, the bench seat 210 may bemanufactured of wood, metal or other suitable material.

The bench seat 205 is generally flush with a pedestal 215 when flippeddown (FIG. 8) or on top of the pedestal (see FIG. 8 a) to allow a userto easily slide his bottom across the pedestal and sit on the bench seat205.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 8( b), there are typically shower curtains (notshown) or doors 240, 245 to minimize splashing or other flows of wateronto the bathroom floor. Door 240 is either a single panel or a bi-foldthat prevents the flow of water onto the bathroom floor between theshower sidewall away from the bench seat. The other door 245 covers areaat the back of the shower closest to the bench seat so that a user or anaide may have easy access to the bench seat. Door 245 typically has anarrower width than door 240. The door 240, if a bi-fold, facilitatesaccess into the shower surround 195 while a swing out door 245 islocated adjacent the bench seat 205. The doors 240, 245 are readilyaccessed from a seated position. For instance, a user can open door 245and door 240 from a wheelchair, slide himself across to bench seat 205,reach to close door 245 which is close because of its relatively shorthorizontal width and grasp a bar 290 disposed on the bi-fold door 240and pull door 240 closed. The user is now free to use the close controls295.

According to an embodiment of this invention, the door 245 need onlyextend down to a top 298 of the pedestal thereby reducing the weight andcost of the door. In this embodiment, the pedestal and the shorter doorcooperate to minimize water escaping from the shower surround.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a shower/bath enclosure 300 is shown. Theenclosure 300 includes an integral access bench 305 which extends froman outside wall 310 of the enclosure 300. The integral access bench isabout 18″ high to accommodate the usual height of wheel chairs whichtend to be between 17 and 19 inches in height. The shower/bath enclosureis shown here as a shower but may also be used as a tub (see dottedlines 313 in FIG. 10). The enclosure may further include a flip-up seat315 as is taught herein. The access bench 305 is shown as an integrallymolded portion having a half-circular sitting area 325. One of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that the access bench may be ofdifferent sizes and shapes to improve the esthetics and functionalitythereof as long as the access bench allows a user to sit on the bench,pivot, and slide over to the bench seat while lifting ones legs over thesurround wall, if any, and thereby be enabled to use the shower. One ofordinary skill in the art will also recognize that the doors 240, 245may also be used herein instead of a shower curtain to enable a user totake advantage of the short door 245 and the door 240 and still haveeasy access to both as taught hereinabove. Also, the slots 182 in seat315 are hygienically designed to allow a user to wash his or her bottomarea (not shown) without undue movement by directing spray from underthe seat to that bottom area.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a tub surround 350 is illustrated andincludes a transfer bench 355, a head rest/pillow 360, and armrests 365.Arm rests 365 jut inwardly towards the interior of the tub surround 350from front wall 370 and back wall 380, and a sloping back rest 385. Thehead rest/pillow 360 is attached to a top portion 395 (see FIG. 12) ofthe back rest 385. A seat 400 has a pair of side arms 405 that attach tothe front wall 370 and back wall 380 by conventional means 410 so thatthe seat 400 may pivot up and out of the way if more room is desired inthe tub surround 350. The seat 400 also has a pair of downwardlydisplaced flanges 403 that rest on the armrests 365. The arm rests 365also function as a support of the seat 400 via the flanges 403 when theseat is not pivoted up and if the user desires to sit thereupon. The armrests and seat cooperate so that, when the seat is pivoted down, theseat is essentially flush with the front wall 370 so a user can slideacross the front wall onto the seat if desired. To enable such sliding,there is a groove 327 extending from the top 372 of the front wall 370to the seat 400. The groove has a minimal width to allow slidingthereover. As seen in FIGS. 11 and 12 there is no support ledge betweenthe top 372 of the front wall 370 and the seat 400.

The arm rests 365 are contoured to mimic a comfortable position for auser's arms and, therefore, one will recognize that one of ordinaryskill in the art may choose other shapes and contours as long as the armrests conform with the seat to provide a surface that is comfortablyflush with the front wall 370. The side arms 405 of the seat 400 extendpast the sides of a pillow 360 when the seat is pivoted down so that thepillow 360 can be placed in an ideal position behind the seat (see FIG.11) to support a user's head when the seat is pivoted upwardly and notinterfere with the seat when the seat is pivoted downwardly atop the armrests 365.

The seat 400 may be spaced from the front wall 370 by a dimension thatallows a shower curtain room to pass between the front wall and the seatto minimize an amount of water from escaping from the tub surround 350(see FIG. 9). One of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize thatthe doors 240, 245 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 8( b) may also be used hereininstead of a shower curtain to enable a user to take advantage of thefunctionality of the doors 245 and 240 and still have easy access to theshower surround as taught hereinabove.

Referring to FIGS. 13-15, a tub and shower surround 425 according toanother non-limiting embodiment is illustrated. Because the front wall430 is relatively low, about 14 inches high, as compared to a normal tubhaving a wall that is about 18 inches high, to allow easier access tothe tub and shower surround 425, water may not cover a user comfortablywhen bathing especially given the height of normal overflow drains(shown in phantom 435) placed under a tub spout 430. Normal overflowdrains allow water to be about 13 inches deep in a full tub. Accordingto this invention, overflowing water accesses a drain 440 though aplurality of scuppers 445 across the top of the water side of the side,front or rear walls of the tub and shower surround. Because the scuppersare at the top of the walls beginning about 13 inches from the bottom ofthe tub, the water in the tub and shower surround is as deep as a normaltub to give a user a comfortable and similar soak even though the frontwall is only about 14 inches high. The ratio of the height of a tub wallto the depth of water in a normal tub is 18 inches to 13 inches or about1.38. The ratio of the height of a tub wall to the depth of water in thetub of the invention is 14 inches to 13 inches or about 1.08.

The drain 440 is disposed within a cavity 450 in the front wall 430 (orother wall) of the bath and shower surround and has enough volume tostore goods such as soap, shampoo, bath toys and other items deemednecessary or preferable for the bathing experience. The bottom walls 455of the cavity are sloped towards the drain 440 to allow for completedrainage in the event of an overflow condition. The cavity 440 may havea pivotable cover 460 that closes for esthetics and to give easy accessto the tub and shower surround 425. The cover should be flush with thetop of the front wall so as not to provide an impediment to entering orexiting the tub. It should be understood that the cavity 450 mayincorporate various other devices such as shower controls, separatehandheld showers 455 that may be plumbed into the cavity as is known inthe art, soap dispensers, as well as other devices (not shown).

The adjacent scuppers form a plurality of corbels 465 that are designedto support the cover if it is closed. The cover 465 may be relativelyrigid to operate as a transfer seat or other support.

It should be understood that like reference numerals identifycorresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. Itshould also be understood that although a particular componentarrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment, otherarrangements will benefit herefrom.

The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by thelimitations within. Various non-limiting embodiments are disclosedherein, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize thatvarious modifications and variations in light of the above teachingswill fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced other than as specifically described. For that reasonthe appended claims should be studied to determine true scope andcontent.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bathing environment comprising: a front wallfor holding water within said bathing environment; an arcuate areaintegral with the front wall and extending from said front wall out ofsaid bathing environment for supporting a user so that a user may pivotthereon to enter into said bathing environment, said front wall having atop; a seat adjacent to said arcuate area and said top of said frontwall, said seat being disposed within said bathing environment and flushwith said top of said front wall and said arcuate area such that theuser pivots upon said arcuate area and slides across said top of saidfront wall and upon said seat, and wherein said front wall has a supportfor said seat that extends below said top of said front wall that isequal to a dimension of a thickness of said seat so that said seat andsaid top of said wall are flush with each other; and a groove extendingfrom the top of the front wall and within said bathing environment tothe seat, and wherein the groove has a minimal width to allow sliding ofa user thereover, and wherein said seat is in register with said areaand said groove.
 2. The bathing environment of claim 1 wherein saidarcuate area has a first arcuate front dimension that enables pivotingthereupon.
 3. The bathing environment of claim 2 wherein said firstarcuate dimension is half-circular.
 4. The bathing environment of claim1 wherein there is no ledge between the top of the front wall and theseat.
 5. The bathing environment of claim 1 wherein the bathingenvironment is defined between a back wall and at least one side wallconnecting the front wall to the back wall, and wherein the arcuate areais formed to extend outwardly from a front surface of the front wallsuch that the user can pivot from a first position outside of thebathing environment to a second position inside the bathing environment.6. The bathing environment of claim 5 wherein the at least one side wallcomprises a pair of side walls that connect the front wall to the backwall, and wherein the arcuate area extends outwardly of the bathingenvironment by extending outwardly beyond a front edge of the sidewalls.
 7. The bathing environment of claim 6 wherein the front wallextends from one side wall to the other side wall.
 8. The bathingenvironment of claim 1 wherein the support comprises at least onearmrest extending inwardly from an inner surface of said front wall at adistance spaced vertically below said top of said front wall.
 9. Thebathing environment of claim 8 wherein the seat includes at least oneflange extending downwardly from a bottom of said seat to rest on the atleast one armrest.
 10. The bathing environment of claim 9 wherein the atleast armrest comprises a first armrest extending inwardly from theinner surface of said front wall and a second armrest extendingoutwardly from a back wall of the bathing environment, and wherein theat least one flange comprises a first flange resting on the firstarmrest and a second flange resting on the second armrest.
 11. Thebathing environment of claim 1 wherein the seat is pivotable between astored position and a deployed position where the user can sit on theseat in the bathing environment.
 12. A bathing environment comprising: aback wall; a front wall connected to said back wall by at least one sidewall, said front wall configured to cooperate with said back wall andside wall to hold water within a bathing environment, and said frontwall having a top surface and a front surface that faces away from saidbathing environment; a sitting area integral with the front wall andextending outward from said front surface of said front wall such thatthe sitting area is external to said bathing environment and isconfigured to support a user thereon; a seat adjacent to said sittingarea and disposed within said bathing environment between said frontwall and said back wall, and wherein said seat is flush with said top ofsaid front wall and said sitting area such that the user pivots upon thesitting area from a first position external to said bathing environmentand slides across said top of said front wall and upon said seat to asecond position located within said bathing environment; and a groovelocated between the top of the front wall and an edge of the seatwherein the groove has a minimal width to allow sliding of the userthereover.
 13. The bathing environment of claim 12 wherein said frontwall has a support for said seat that extends inwardly from said frontwall at a distance below said top of said front wall, wherein saiddistance is equal to a dimension of a maximum vertical dimension of saidseat so that said seat and said top of said wall are flush with eachother.
 14. The bathing environment of claim 12 including at least onesupport extending inwardly from said front wall at a distance below saidtop of said front wall, and wherein said seat includes at least oneflange extending downwardly from said seat to rest on the support. 15.The bathing environment of claim 14 wherein said seat is mounted forpivotal movement relative to said front wall between a stored positionthat increases an available open area of the bathing environment and adeployed position for supporting a user in the second position.
 16. Thebathing environment of claim 15 wherein the at least one supportcomprises an armrest upon which the at least one flange rests when theseat is in the deployed position.
 17. The bathing environment of claim16 wherein said at least one support comprises a first armrest extendinginwardly from the inner surface of said front wall and a second armrestextending outwardly from said back wall, and wherein said at least oneflange comprises a first flange resting on the first armrest and asecond flange resting on the second armrest.
 18. The bathing environmentof claim 12 wherein the sitting area comprises an arcuate area thatcurves outwardly from said front surface of said front wall.
 19. Thebathing environment of claim 18 wherein said arcuate area is ahalf-circle shape.
 20. The bathing environment of claim 12 wherein thesitting area extends outwardly of the bathing environment by extendingoutwardly beyond a front edge of the at least one side wall.
 21. Thebathing environment of claim 20 wherein the at least one side wallcomprises a pair of side walls that connect the front wall to the backwall, and wherein the sitting area extends outwardly beyond the frontedge of both side walls.
 22. The bathing environment of claim 21 whereinthe front wall extends from one side wall to the other side wall.